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Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is an abnormal, rapid, and invasive growth of cancerous (malignant) cells in the testicles (male sex glands adjacent to the penis).
Causes, Incidents, and Risk Factors Associated With Testicular Cancer
Although the exact cause of testicular cancer has not been identified, several predisposing factors seem to increase risk. These include a past medical history of undescended testicle(s), abnormal testicular development, Klinefelter's syndrome (a sex chromosome disorder that may be characterized by low levels of male hormones, sterility, breast enlargement, and small testes), or previous testicular cancer.
Other factors are under investigation as possible causes of testicular cancer, such as exposure to certain chemicals and infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A family history of testicular cancer may increase risk. There is no link between vasectomy (an operation to cause sterility) and elevated risk of testicular cancer.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer each year. Although testicular cancer accounts for 1% of all cancers in men, it is the most common form of cancer in young men 15 to 40 years old. It may also occur in young boys, but only about 3% of all testicular cancer is found in this group. White American men have about five times the risk of African-American men and more than twice the risk of Asian-American men. The risk for testicular cancer has doubled among white Americans in the past 40 years but has remained the same for African-Americans. The reasons for these differences are not known.
Treatment of Testicular Cancer
Treatment of testicular cancer depends on the type of tumor, the stage of the tumor, and the extent of the disease. Most patients can be cured.
Once testicular cancer is found, the first step is to determine the type of cancer cell. This determination is done by a microscopic exam. The cells can be seminoma or non-seminoma. If both types of seminoma and non-seminoma cells are found in a single tumor, the tumor is treated as a non-seminoma.
The next step is to determine how far it has spread to other parts of the body. This is called "staging."
· In Stage I, the cancer has not spread beyond the testicle.
· In Stage II, the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen.
· In Stage III, the cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes; it could be as far as the liver or lungs.
Learn more about testicular cancer at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University. As a national leader in cancer care & research and ranked among the best treatment facilities in the country, it is one of only 38 cancer centers in the nation designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. NCI designation is an assurance of excellent care and comprehensive treatment options, including access to the latest clinical trials.
Testicular Cancer
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and North Carolina Baptist Hospital. All rights reserved.
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Winston-Salem, NC 27157
(336) 716-2011 |
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